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abstract: Latino children are more than twice as likely to live in poverty than their non-Latino, White peers (Kids Count Data Center, 2017), yet limited work has aimed to understand neighborhood influences on pathways of mental health among Latino children. Substantial work documents the deleterious effects of living in a disadvantaged neighborhood on mental health outcomes throughout the lifespan (Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000). Parental and familial variables may explain neighborhood influences on children’s mental health during the first few years of life (May, Azar, & Matthews, 2018). The current study evaluated the influence of three neighborhood indicators (concentrated disadvantage, residential instability, and the percentage of residents identifying as Hispanic/Latino) on maternal postpartum depressive symptoms and child behavior problems at 3 and 4.5 years via mediation and moderated mediation models among a sample of 322 low-income, Mexican American mother-child dyads. Contrary to hypotheses and existing literature, concentrated disadvantage and residential instability were not predictive of maternal or child mental health outcomes. The percentage of residents identifying as Hispanic/Latino emerged as a protective neighborhood factor for both mothers and children. The neighborhood ethnocultural context may be especially relevant to understanding pathways of mental health specific to Mexican American families. More research is needed to understand specific parental and familial mechanisms underlying this protective effect. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2019

Research has suggested that behaviors beginning in childhood or adolescence may play a mediating role in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and involvement in prostitution. It is currently unknown how poor self-concept and low self-efficacy play a mediating relationship in this association. The primary purpose of this correlational study was to evaluate early youth problem behaviors such as poor self-concept and reduced self-efficacy as possible mediators in the association between childhood abuse/neglect and participation in prostitution during young adulthood. The central research questions explored the association between childhood maltreatment and involvement in prostitution, as well as how self-concept and self-efficacy mediate the association between childhood maltreatment and engagement in prostitution in young adulthood. The Eco-developmental theory provided the theoretical framework for the study. Data consisted of 4,882 adolescents in Grades 7-12 in the United States during the 1994-1995 school year from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, 61 of whom self-reported activity in prostitution. Results from Pearson correlations and Structural Equation Models indicated a relationship between childhood maltreatment and prostitution during young adulthood; self-efficacy and self-concept did not mediate this relationship. Childhood abuse was not a significant predictor of self-efficacy and self-efficacy was not significantly related to prostitution. Childhood maltreatment was a significant, negative predictor of positive self-concept. By demonstrating that childhood maltreatment is linked to prostitution in young adulthood, this research can foster positive social change, by showing the value of creating intervention programs that target childhood abuse in order to reduce involvement in prostitution in young adulthood.

Classroom teachers are constantly trying to find the answer to those many behavior situations that arise on a daily basis in schools. In this study, we looked at the benefits of using a digital recorder in the classroom to help students become more “aware” of their behaviors. The study was done in a rural, public elementary school with three males that ranged from third grade to fifth grade. Each of these three boys has been identified as students with either specific learning disabilities or emotional disturbances. This program was run by the resource teacher and a trained paraprofessional. The methods of this study included a digital recording of classroom activities with a focus on the three students. On a daily basis, each student would watch the recording with the resource teacher and evaluate their behaviors. The students were asked to self-evaluate their behaviors before discussing them with the resource teacher. The results for two of the three subjects were a decrease in the target behavior while the third subject’s results were not consistent. With additional time and training, this subject could also benefit from this program. The benefits of this program could reach individual students to improve their classroom behaviors while benefiting the entire classroom as well. Teachers will be able to teach and students able to learn without being interrupted by behavior incidents.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy is a probably efficacious, evidenced-based treatment, which has been proven to decrease problem behaviors of children, as well as improve parent-child interactions. The first phase is the Child-Directed Interaction (CDI), which allows the child to lead the play session, while parents are taught to interact without giving demands, asking questions, or providing criticism. According to the DSM-IV-TR, Reactive Attachment Disorder is a rare diagnosis. Many attachment therapists indicate that traditional approaches to treatment have not been demonstrated as being effective with these children. This study will examine the CDI phase of Parent- Child Interaction Therapy as a potential treatment option for children diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder.

Using a multivariate correlational design, this study was designed to determine the degree to which selected risk and protective factors were related to resilience in an at-risk student population. A total of 12 individual, family and external risk and protective factors were identified and data were collected from 142 6th through 11th grade students in an alternative education program for individuals who had committed severe behavioral infractions. A series of multiple regression analyses were conducted using three outcome variables: a rating of students' resilient behavior, number of behavior referrals in the students' records, and standardized reading achievement scores. Five percent of the sample then was selected for semi-structured interviews to glean additional information about the relationships between the identified variables and student resilience.The combination of individual, family and external risk variables explained a significant amount of the variance in student behavior referrals and reading achievement, but not in overall resilient status. With regard to behavior referrals, the largest contributors to the model were age, severity of sending offense and neighborhood crime. Reading achievement was related to special education status, as predicted, and negatively related to community violence. Parental structure was positively correlated with resilient status but the percentage of variance explained by the overall model was not significant.The combination of selected protective factors explained a significant amount of variance when resilient status and reading achievement were the measured outcomes, but not for the model addressing behavior referrals. Being a male and having strong cohesion as a family unit were the variables most highly related to resilient status, while special education eligibility and perceptions of school belongingness accounted for the largest variance in reading scores. School belongingness was negatively relate d to reading achievement in this sample.An examination of qualitative data revealed that teacher characteristics were important to students' motivation to succeed, and information collected reiterated the importance of family structure and cohesion in students' resilient status. Other emerging themes were apparent when mentoring and friendship were discussed, as well as when students' self-perceived strengths, weaknesses and future aspirations were identified.

Section A consists of a literature review which explores the concept of recovery and its relevance for women who have been detained in a secure setting and diagnosed with a personality disorder. Section B presents the findings of a study to explore the concept of recovery in women diagnosed with personality disorder in a secure unit. Six semi- structured interviews, conducted with women diagnosed with personality disorder and experience of being detained in secure accommodation, were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Analysis of the transcripts revealed five master themes: recovering; centrality of relationships; assuming responsibility for own care; evolving an identity; understanding of the mental health experience. The study concludes that, as far as is consistent with a secure setting, women should be given maximum opportunity to participate in decisions about their own care. Staff should be creative in providing opportunities for the women to engage in meaningful activities that promote a positive identity. Education with respect to personal recovery and the presentation and aetiology of personality disorder may support more caring and hopeful relationships between staff and service users, within which recovery can be facilitated. Section C involves a critical appraisal of the study.

Dropout from therapy for personality disorder (PD) represents a clinically-important but poorly understood phenomenon in the existing literature. The present grounded theory study explores the experiences of clients with PD, and their therapists, of treatment dropout from a National Health Service outpatient psychotherapy service, specialising in psychodynamic interventions for PD. Pre-therapy questionnaires for 20 clients were initially reviewed to generate hypotheses about the differences between treatment dropouts and completers, before a focus group was conducted with six therapists to explore their beliefs about and experiences of client dropout. Finally, six individual interviews were conducted with clients with PD, five of whom had dropped out from therapy at the host service. The final model highlighted the importance of clients’ treatment expectations, how they perceived their therapist’s behaviour, and their interpersonal history in making decisions about whether to stay in or drop out of therapy. The impact of therapy endings upon clients is also discussed, as well as therapists’ beliefs about managing complex clients, both individually and within a team, under current financial and clinical pressures. The findings are then discussed in relation to existing theory and research, and the clinical implications and limitations of the study are presented.

Darbo tikslas - nustatyti 13 – 16 metų paauglių, turinčių mišrių elgesio ir emocinių sutrikimų, internalių ir eksternalių problemų lygį ir įvairovę. Tyrimo pradžioje keliama hipotezė, jog paaugliai, turintys mišrių elgesio ir emocinių sutrikimų, turi aukštesnį internalių bei aukštesnį eksternalių problemų lygį, nei tokių sutrikimų neturintys bendraamžiai. Tikslui pasiekti kėlėme šiuos uždavinius: įvertinti 13 - 16 metų paauglių, pasižyminčių mišriais elgesio ir emociniais sutrikimais, internalių bei eksternalių problemų lygį ir įvairovę. Palyginti 13 - 16 metų paauglių, turinčių mišrių elgesio ir emocinių sutrikimų, su tokio pat amžiaus paauglių, neturinčių emocinių sutrikimų, internalių ir eksternalių problemų lygį ir įvairovę. Palyginti 13 – 16 metų paauglių, turinčių mišrių elgesio ir emocinių sutrikimų, su tokio pat amžiaus paauglių, neturinčių emocinių sutrikimų, nerimo lygį ir įvairovę. Tyrimas atliktas, taikant šias metodikas: Žmogaus piešinys: emocinių sutrikimų atrankos procedūra DAP : SPED ( Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance); T. M. Achenbacho (1991) klausimynus 11 -18 metų jaunuolio savęs vertinimo lapą (Youth Self – Report (YSR 11/18), 6 -18 metų vaiko elgesio tyrimo lapą (Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 4/18), bei Daugiamatę vaikų nerimo skalę MASC ( Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children). Tyrime dalyvavo 92 13 -16 metų paaugliai, 52 – klinikinės grupės paaugliai, pasižymintys mišriomis elgesio ir emocinėmis problemomis, bei 40 –... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the work is to ascertain the level and variety of internal and external problems of 13 – 16 years teenagers having medley behavior and emotional problems. In the beginning of the research was raised hypothesis, that the level of behavior and emotional problems is elevated for teenagers having medley behavior and emotional problems, than for teenagers do not having these problems. In order to achieve the aim we have raised these main objectives: to evaluate the level and variety of internal and external problems of 13 – 16 years teenagers having medley behavior and emotional problems. To evaluate the level and variety of anxiety of 13 – 16 years teenagers having medley behavior and emotional problems. The research was carried out applying these research methods: standardized questionnaire by Achenbach (1991) – Your Self –Report (YSR 11 / 18), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 4 / 18); standardized MASC - Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children and DAP : SPED Draw A Person : Screening Procedure for Emotional Disturbance. 92 13 -16 years teenagers participated in the research. 52 teenagers, having medley behavior and emotional problems and 40 teenagers do not having these problems. Participated in the research and 52 parents of teenagers, having medley behavior and emotional problems and 40 parents of teenagers, do not having these problems. After the research we carried out, that teenagers, having medley behavior and emotional problems experience more... [to full text]

Uppsatsen är en studie av Funktionell Familjeterapi (FFT). Syftet var att undersöka om en FFT-behandling innebar en förändring för en ungdom och dennes föräldrar avseende deras beskrivning av familjeklimatet och dyaderna inom familjen. Målgruppen utgjordes av 29 familjer som under åren 2011-2013 avslutat en FFT-behandling på Ungdomscentrum, Uppsala kommun. Familjerna hade fyllt i självskattningsformulären Frågor om Familjemedlemmar och Familjeklimat före och efter behandlingen. Resultatet visade ett flertal statistiskt signifikanta skillnader vilket stämde överens med tidigare forskning av modellen, både internationellt och nationellt. Kritik och klander hade minskat mellan familjemedlemmarna och föräldrarna ansåg sig mindre överinvolverade i sina ungdomar efter behandlingen. När det gäller Familjeklimat visade det sig att ungdomarna, mödrarna och fäderna upplevde mer närhet och mindre distans inom familjen efter genomför behandling. Studien bekräftade att FFT-modellen ger en viss effekt för familjer med en tonåring som har ett utagerande beteende. Den starka betoningen på att ändra familjens kommunikationsmönster till en mer stödjande sådan, har avgörande betydelse för om familjen fullföljer behandlingen och för om behandlingsresultatet blir positivt. / The paper is an evaluation of Functional Family Therapy (FFT). The aim was to investigate whether a FFT treatment meant a change for a youth and his parents regarding their description of family climate and dyads within the family. The target group consisted of 29 families that during 2011-2013 completed the FFT treatment at Ungdomscentrum (Youth Centre), in Uppsala community. The families had completed the self-assessment forms Issues of Family members and Family climate before and after the treatment. The results showed several significant differences that were consistent with previous research of the model, both internationally and nationally. Criticism and blame had been reduced between family members and the parents considered themselves less over-involved in their youth after the treatment. Current Family climate, it turned out that the adolescents, mothers and fathers experienced more closeness and less distance within the family in the end of treatment. The evaluation confirmed that the FFT- model provides some effect for families with a teenager with behavior problems. The strong emphasis on changing family patterns of communication to a more supportive one, is crucial for the family to complete their treatment and for the result of the treatment.